6th International Policy Dialogue Forum

The Management of Teacher Education - Trends in policies and practice: what works, why and for whom?

The discussions were rich and productive under four sub-themes:

1. Teacher Education: structures, contents and outcomes
2. Attracting and retaining teachers
3. Equity and teacher education management
4. Teacher education management in Post-Conflict and Post-Disaster (PCPD) contexts

The Forum drew following recommendations on issues under area deepening the evidence base for policy formulation and implementation:

1. To further investigate the management and planning of the content of initial teacher education particularly as this relates to the development effective classroom practices.
2. The management and identification of the content and delivery of in-service teacher professional development programmes.
3. To examine the diverse ways in which governments had successfully sought to manage and improve teacher recruitment and retention through interventions to improve working conditions and the general quality of professional life (including professional development).
4. To examine the quality of the working and professional lives of women working in rural areas and the impact this has on their effectiveness and motivation.
5. To examine the impact of policy decisions about ‘language of instruction’ on teacher effectiveness and teacher motivation.
6. To establish a data collection process that allows the monitoring of teacher recruitment, retention and education in ways comparable to that currently in place for pupil enrolment.
7. To work with national governments to improve data collection and analyses at a national level comparable to that suggested in recommendation 6, such work it was recommended should extend to technical support in the development of national policies and strategies around all aspects of the work of teachers.
8. To provide support to build, manage and implement teacher education programmes in Post-Conflict Post Disaster (PCPD) contexts.
9. To set out proposals, in the context of recommendation 8, for structures of inter-agency management and co-operation in supporting teachers in PCPD situations.
10. That the Task Force establish a dialogue with the research donor community to seek to make the issue of teachers and teacher education a much higher priority in the commissioning and funding of research addressing education and development.